Book: The Thessalonian Road, Sanctification made plain
Author: Gary S. Maxey
Reviewer: Mariam Bello
Reading through the book, The Thessalonian Road, Sanctification made plain, what comes across is the essence and meaning of the “Thessalonian road”
The reader might be forced to ask: How can one experience and journey through this road?
Using straight and simple English, the author, Dr. Gary Maxey espouses the uniqueness and distinguishable factors in the writing and life of Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians. He also gives us an insight into who the Thessalonians are.
Over the years, Paul’s writing still speaks loud and clear without losing its relevance among the believers. Paul, in spite of many disadvantaged situations he found himself never ceased to boldly proclaim a universal truth and gospel that “Jesus came to the earth in human flesh in order to reconcile all mankind to God through his suffering.
Though Paul’s visit to the Thessalonians was very short, the author makes us know that he stirred up great revival and spiritual growth in Christ Jesus among the people.
The Thessalonians did not only turn from Idol worship to Jesus worship, they also became a good model and examples to other believers 1thess1:7. Despite the great testimonies about the Thessalonians, Paul was still yearning to visit them to supply what is “lacking in their faith” 1thess 3:10.
Anyone will obviously wonder what is lacking in their faith despite the testimonies about them. Paul was still not satisfied with their spiritual growth.
He knew that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to take a step toward a deeper relationship with God. Paul, therefore, saw that they needed to experience what Dr. Maxey calls ‘Deeper Sanctification’.
This book explains what Paul meant by this deeper Sanctification, what it means to journey through this Thessalonian Road and what it takes to actually experience it.
In defining the term deeper Sanctification, Dr. Maxey explains that “Sanctification in its broadest sense, starts from the moment we are awakened to a new life in Christ and continues till we enter heaven’s gate.
This means that Sanctification is a process and a compulsory experience for all believers.
The book shockingly reveals that as deep as the sanctification process may sound, our work input alone will never work it out but only through faith just as Paul lamented in Rom 9:22 and Gal 3:2-3.
This implies that we need to stop seeing Sanctification from our human standpoint. Though commitment and discipline are great in their own sense holiness can’t be attained through it.
The author explains that going further in this Sanctification road can only be done through the help of the Holy Spirit and not our work alone.
Quoting Oswald Chambers Maxey writes, “…Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me. It is God’s idea of what He wants to do for me”.
This automatically implies that as the people of the world do not bend their knees to God and God tells them “your will be done”. We as believers are to bend our knees to God and tell Him that “His will be done”.
This is why Paul states in 1thess 5:22″… He who calls you is trustworthy and he will in fact do this”
Maxey in the wonderful book however does not hide his concern about the way modern churches have presented and misinterpreted both salvation and Sanctification.
He states “we have lost much of our ability to preach against popular sins…and call a spade a spade “mainly because our lives do not manifest what we preach.
He further posits that “Instead we have adapted and adopted substitutes that are only to people who do not have the stomach for the truth of the Bible”.
The church needs to help members grow, disciple them and ground them in the word of God rather than just accepting and condoning their behaviour knowing of certainty that holiness should be our lifestyle.
We are called to be good models and examples both to believers and unbelievers 1thess 1:5-7. The author further urges us to consider seven golden steps that we can and should take to make Sanctification a reality.
We should remember that Paul knows that his assignment is to live by example and also practice what he preaches. The question now is” do you as a believer want to follow and achieve this assignment?”
In explaining the golden steps, Maxey notes that before one can talk of a relationship with God or spiritual growth and maturity, one must first be born again.
As a child of God, you must continually desire, hunger and thirst for righteousness. He writes that the believer must get to a stage like John the Baptist said that it is “more of Jesus and less of you” regardless of the situation.
The author admonishes that we should be obedient to the Holy Spirit and allow him to search and purge out everything that does not glorify God in us. He states also that we should be ready to welcome a deeper dealing and relationship with God.
He encourages the reader to be ready to wait upon the Lord and spend more time with Him.
If you really want to explore the golden steps to deeper Sanctification, if you want to experience and journey through this Thessalonian Road, then you should read this book.
Remember settling for less is not an option when there is deeper and higher dimensions in God that we need to experience.
Dr. Maxey’s style of expressing his thought using both the life of Paul and the Thessalonians as examples is so captivating.
The book, Understanding of the Thessalonian Road, sanctification made plain runs through about 107 pages in six chapters. Itis truly an expose on how the believer can have a deeper relationship with God without the attendant legalese.
The book is available online:https://www.amazon.com/Thessalonian-Road-Sanctification-Made-Plain/dp/B08D4Y2BTP
It can also be purchased at the West Africa Theological Seminary, Ipaja, Lagos or contact Thomas on +234- (0)802-331-9553 or +234(0)9015726683 to buy copies
